By John Thiel, mp3

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

The Lord is worthy of our worship and we are gathered to worship. We are here to worship as we hear his word, the word of God. We today live in a similar atmosphere of Christianity as did Israel when they were in Babylonian captivity. As the Israelites were caught by Nebuchadnezzar in the time of Ezekiel they accepted they were captives and they would make the best of it and live in Babylon under Babylonian conditions and the Israel of today has accepted the circumstances in which we live in although they are often foreign to true Christianity. The words of Ezekiel can be very applicable to us if we do not guard ourselves. God knew something about the Israel listening to him speaking and preaching.

Ezekiel 33:30 Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32 And, lo, thou [art] unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

Let us in the presence of the Lord examine ourselves whether this may be our danger. God knows our hearts and via Jesus Christ our worship to him is very much cognizant to him as to how we worship him. Are we prepared to worship him according to the words of Jesus and to what we have been introduced to? There is a possibility that as we hear his word we have certain conditions of being that it will go over our head and I don’t have to worry about doing that as it doesn’t apply. This is our danger. Jesus identifies whom God is looking for to worship him. I pray we will be on the right side of God’s approval.

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth. 

God is seeking and looking for those who worship him in spirit and in truth. He seeketh such. Has he found you? How do you worship? Notice two aspects of worship. In spirit and in truth. If you worship him only in truth, God seeks for more than that and if you worship him only in spirit, God seeks for more than that. We are to really appreciate the words of Jesus when he said God is a spirit therefore he seeks for people to worship him in spirit and truth. God is a God of truth but God is a spirit. What does Jesus mean that God is a spirit? Appreciate is the term that God is a spirit and man is a spirit as well.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

According to these words in what sense is it referring to spirit? Is it not the intelligent part of both man and God? Inside of me there dwells a spirit that knows something about me. Have you ever exercised and thought about that? That you can look at yourself from the inside? That is the spirit of man which knows the things of the spirit of man and so is God who knows the deep things of God. No man knows that but the spirit of God and that spirit can show us the things of God. Things that we cannot imagine in our mind are to be revealed to us. God has revealed them unto us by his spirit. God is spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. He is a spiritual intelligence and we may be an intelligence that can know the things that are freely given us of God. In my intelligence is it possible that I can know the facts of truth? You can know truth but so does the devil. We need more than a knowledge of truth. We need to understand something about the spirit of things so we can worship God in spirit and in truth. This understanding comes from Proverbs where it speaks of the spirit of man. There is something inside of you that can look at itself and examine its own thoughts.

Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man [is] the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

When God created us he breathed into us the breath of life and man became a living soul and that soul is made up of spirit, flesh and intelligence. Body, soul and spirit, three entities. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord that searches the inward parts. It can examine itself and go up and down like a light globe. We are an electrical entity. If we look at it as the candle of the Lord, we notice that this candle, this spirit of man needs to be enlightened. It needs to be given a spark.

Psalms 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

This is the issue. My consciousness needs to be enlightened by God. He needs to give me light so that what I think and how I feel about things is not in the darkness of my own realm because eye hath not seen or ear heard what God has prepared so how can I understand anything? God needs to lighten my lamp, my spirit. Without the enlightenment of God in my spirit in my intelligent heart mind experience, we are in danger of totally missing what God is trying to say to us. There is a struggle that happens when God comes to enlighten us. Apostle Paul is speaking to the church.

1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

The Holy Ghost has to teach us and not in the wisdom of man. God wants us to worship him in spirit and in truth. As he wants us to worship him like that notice the following:

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

The believer is meant to have the mind of Christ and be illuminated by the spirit of God. The natural man regards the things of Gods spirit as foolishness. Have you ever listened to a man speak of things he thinks are great and you thought it wasn’t? We do exactly that to God as the natural man. We have to be careful as we come to worship our Lord today as he said that as in the time of the Babylonian captivity, we might say yes lets listen to these beautiful words and then go home and say I don’t know about that as was done with Ezekiel. This is a common problem today.

The unfoldings of Jesus in reference to heavenly things are of a character that only the spiritual mind can appreciate. The imagination may summon its utmost powers in order to picture the glories of heaven, but “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). The heavenly intelligences are all around us. . . . Angels of light create a heavenly atmosphere about the soul, lifting us toward the unseen and eternal. We cannot behold their forms with our natural sight; only by the spiritual vision can we discern heavenly things. Our human powers would be extinguished by the inexpressible glory of the angels of light. The spiritual ear alone can distinguish the harmony of heavenly voices. It is not Christ’s plan to excite the emotions by brilliant descriptions. . . . He has with sufficient distinctness presented Himself, the way, the truth, and the life, as the only means whereby salvation is to be obtained. No more than this is really required. {HP 366.3}

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and Jesus came to meet us here on earth to communicate with us the things that eye has not seen or heard. He said I’m going to send you another comforter and he is going to show you things that you can’t bear now. The involvement of Jesus in regards to heavenly things are of a character that only the spiritual mind can only appreciate. You want to appreciate something? The natural man can’t. We need the inflowing of God that lights my spirit. Then only can I understand the things freely given to us of God. Let us permit God to lighten our candle, our human spirit and comprehend what it means to worship him in spirit and in truth. Ephesians 4 makes the connection between spirit and truth as Jesus came to show us.

Have You Heard Of Jesus?

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

The words as the truth is in Jesus is very important. If we have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that you.

Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

The Lord would lighten my candle renewed in the spirit of my mind. It has to do with the truth that has been taught by the apostles. It is the truth as it is in Jesus. To worship God in spirit and in truth is to have the truth as it is in Jesus. Is there such a thing as a truth outside of Jesus? Because Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life, is it possible that I can take the truth and have it outside of Jesus? We believe in Jesus. What does James say?

James 2:19 …the devils also believe, and tremble.

Obviously here is a serious warning that there may be a seriously possibility that we today having been so conditioned to the social, spiritual and emotional conditions in the world in which we live that we may have the truth and yet not have it as it is in Jesus and therefore not worshipping him in spirit and in truth.

There will be some terrible falls by those who think they stand firm because they have the truth, but they have it not as it is in Jesus. {5T 540.1}

That is frightening. I may have the truth but I am going to make some terrible falls as I don’t have the truth as it is in Jesus. That was the problem that was existing as Ellen White was sending those messages as the church at that time was priding itself that they had the truth. They were sure of it and then there was need of the message of 1888 as they had lost sight of Jesus while they were pumping the truth and prophecies. They were sure they had it right and they could argue with anyone and win the argument.

They were preaching the law and the law until they became as dry as the hills of Gilboa. Why is it possible? Where is the problem that we don’t fall into the same danger? What is the problem that we could be having the truth in all its dimensions but not as it is in Jesus?

The truth is kept altogether too much in the outer court. {5T 547.1}

What does that mean?

Bring it into the inner temple of the soul, enthrone it in the heart, and let it control the life. The word of God should be studied and obeyed, then the heart will find rest and peace and joy, and the aspirations will tend heavenward; but when truth is kept apart from the life, in the outer court, the heart is not warmed with the glowing fire of God’s goodness. {5T 547.1}

The religion of Jesus is, by many, reserved for certain days, or certain occasions, and at other times is laid aside and neglected. The abiding principle of truth is not merely for a few hours on the Sabbath, or for a few acts of charity, but it is to be brought into the heart, refining and sanctifying the character. If there is a moment when man is safe without this special light and strength from heaven, then he may dispense with the truth of God. The Bible, God’s pure, holy word, must be his counselor and guide, the controlling power of his life. It gives forth its lessons to us if we will take them to heart. {5T 547.2}

Academic knowledge of the word of God and getting it correct is quite a possibility but it is in the outer court. You have two parts of your brain – the intellectual and the spiritual part. The frontal lobe is the place where spiritual activities take place. The rest is where all the mechanical and intellectual parts take place and it must go through the intellect into the spiritual part. We can only take it to heart when it brings me face to face with living engagements with the world.

The Heart Is Far

God said to Ezekiel they come to me as people come. They speak of love to me but their heart is far from me. Here lies the human dilemma that we can get confused with the comfort of knowing the truth but not having the spirit and the truth as it is in Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. When we have Jesus, we have more than just an emotional spiritual relationship with someone, we have the truth and we have the life. It is the life, it is not merely an intellectual knowledge that I apply with my own intellectual exercises. It is a relationship with God in spirit and truth. One can’t be separated from the other. How did Jesus make the word connective to himself as a person when he spoke that the word, the Bible is to do with our relationship with him? The Jews believed on Jesus. Do you?

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jesus says to continue in the word, you will know the truth. How important is it to continue in the word and to know the truth? You will become free. But he doesn’t stop there as he also says.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Did you notice what he just did? He said continue in the word, study the word, it is imperative. If you want to be my disciples, you must study the word and as you study the word, you will through the word come to know the truth on any subject. Whatever it addresses it is the truth you will learn and that truth will make you free. Then Jesus said I the Son will make you free. People today say don’t worry about all the detail of the truth and Bible, just have Jesus as that is only important. Sorry, Jesus said the truth is as you study the word. We have Jesus qualifying for us the importance of what it means to have the truth as it is in Jesus. For you and me to be saved I must have Christ, no one disagrees with that, I must have Christ within. This is the wonderful hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Christ in You

If Christ is in you, how is it? In Christ is separated from the word? What does it say in John 1?

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

If I claim that Jesus is in me because I have some wonderful appreciations of spiritual engagements but the word does not agree with I am claiming, then have I got Jesus? God needs to approve of what I claim to know in the word.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

God is seeking such to worship him. A people who study in such a way that God can say I approve. I am in harmony with you because you in your spirit have opened your heart to my spirit and you have let the truth that I stand on and stand by, you have permitted that to enter in so that there is not one item of truth that is not important. Not one item in the Bible that is not important. It is all the word that comes from God, it is Jesus, the communication agency from the Father is Jesus. He is the word. To have Christ means the word in me. That is what was addressed in Ephesians. That you have the truth as it is in Jesus. To have Christ, means according to that scripture to have the word, which is Jesus in me, I need to do something to gain it. It spells it out.

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

To be in Christ Jesus we need to be renewed. The natural man cannot comprehend these things. I need to gain a spiritual entity which comes from Gods spirit enlightening my darkness. We cannot disengage from the word if we are going to be engaged in Jesus Christ and Jesus himself said it. You will know the truth and it will make you free.

Are you in Christ? Not if you do not acknowledge yourselves erring, helpless, condemned sinners. Not if you are exalting and glorifying self. If there is any good in you, it is wholly attributable to the mercy of a compassionate Saviour. Your birth, your reputation, your wealth, your talents, your virtues, your piety, your philanthropy, or anything else in you or connected with you, will not form a bond of union between your soul and Christ. Your connection with the church, the manner in which your brethren regard you, will be of no avail unless you believe in Christ. It is not enough to believe about Him; you must believe in Him. You must rely wholly upon His saving grace. {5T 48.3}

Are You in Christ?

Not if you haven’t died to self. Because we are in the school of Christ, in this school of Christ I am learning something. I am learning what it means to be in Christ and put away the old man and the old ways of filling my mind with a sense of worth. Filling my mind alone with the worthiness of Jesus Christ. I must believe in Jesus in a way of applying the truth as it is in him. If I believe that Jesus is my saviour, and that the gospel will save me and I do not keep the Ten Commandments and I reject them, or any one of them, can I be saved? Can I be saved if I believe in Jesus but I don’t keep the Ten Commandments? I can be saved if I repent but if I keep on rejecting something in Gods commandments, can I be saved?

1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

There are people today in Christendom who say don’t worry about the Sabbath and the commandment thou shall not kill. If you have to go to war that’s alright. There are different aspects where they excuse themselves but it says if we love God and have him in our heart, we will keep his commandments. How does Jesus connect with that?

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

What is sin? Sin is the transgression of the law. If I know him am I going to keep on sinning saying it is alright as Jesus has died for me? Jesus has come to take away my sins and redeem me from sins. In the knowledge of the Ten Commandments and the knowledge of Jesus there is truth and there is spirit. We must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Prophecy

If I believe in Jesus and reject any item of prophecy in the Bible, can I be saved? Apostle Peter bought Jesus before the people. What does he say in relation to Jesus and prophecy?

2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

This is what they preached and the people who believed in what they preached believed in Jesus and they were saved.

2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

God lights my spirit and illuminates my darkness. How does he do it? Through prophecy that is a light that shines in a dark place. What does prophecy do? It brings Jesus to you which is through prophecy a more sure word even more than what the disciples saw.

2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.

But there were also false teachers. How important is prophecy? It is more sure than the reports of the disciples than the preaching of any person. If you study the prophecies what will come up inside of you? Jesus Christ. The day star will arise in your hearts. How will it arise? Through prophecy. The entire prophecy of Daniel were to do with the wise and the foolish. What were the words of Jesus in reference to the last days?

Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Identify the prophecies so you won’t be caught unawares when probation closes and he finishes his work. That is what people will be caught out by. The wise will understand and the foolish won’t.

Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Through it out my life in upholding the old realities of the prophecies of Daniel, when it comes to this solid hard work of studying to be approved of God, people have said consistently to me, ‘why do you worry about all that detail? It won’t save you, Jesus saves you.’ I shrivel within myself and say wait a minute, Jesus gave the prophecies. According to what I have read, Jesus will arise in my heart when I am in harmony with his interpretation. Prophecy of no private interpretation. Any aspect of the prophecy must be truth. We hear today of such a variety of interpretations of prophecy that if you want to find truth you will not find happiness because where is it? Jesus is the one who has revealed the importance of prophecy because when he gave the picture of the ten virgins, five virgins were without what? Oil.

What is that? Without the Holy Spirit. They were worshiping but not in spirit and in truth. When the bridal party came past who went with the bridal party? The wise virgins. How were they able to understand? Prophecy. They were not confused. They knew exactly what the prophecy was and they followed according to the light that rose in their hearts. If I believe in Jesus yet heed not the Spirit of Prophecy can I be saved? Could the foolish virgins be saved? No they could not. Can I be saved if I do not give close heed to the Spirit of Prophecy? What is prophecy?

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand.

What must they do? They must keep the things written therein. In the book of revelation is the open book of Daniel and there is not one item in Daniel or Revelation that is not important as it is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Do we have Jesus? Not if we do not see ourselves as sinful and helpless as totally in need of his enlightenment. With those three points we have a huge field of consideration already displayed to us in long years of the past. We are to believe in that which has once been delivered to the saints.

The Spirit of Prophecy

Revelation 19:10 worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

When it comes to the knowledge of the prophecies and the Ten Commandments, and the Spirit of Prophecy under inspiration we are shown many details of truth. Are you in Christ? Do you deny him?

In our mingling in society, in families or in whatever relations of life we are placed, either limited or extended, there are many ways wherein we may acknowledge our Lord and many ways wherein we may deny Him. We may deny Him in our words, by speaking evil of others, by foolish talking, jesting and joking, by idle or unkind words, or by prevaricating, speaking contrary to truth. In our words we may confess that Christ is not in us. In our character we may deny Him by loving our ease, by shunning the duties and burdens of life which someone must bear if we do not, and by loving sinful pleasure. We may also deny Christ by pride of dress and conformity to the world, or by uncourteous behaviour. We may deny Him by loving our own opinions and by seeking to maintain and justify self. We may also deny Him in allowing the mind to run in the channel of lovesick sentimentalism and to brood over our supposed hard lot and trials. {CCh 81.2}

That is only the tip of the iceberg. It is important to be approved of God, to be the people who worship him today in spirit and in truth. Jesus is nearly here, prophecy is fulfilled to the enth degree with a few more tiny things to be fulfilled. How important is it then that the testimony of Jesus is important to us that we will heed everything that the testimony of Jesus says? If we reject any one of these we are rejecting Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You want to be blameless in the day of our lord Jesus Christ? The testimony of Jesus Christ needs to be confirmed in us that we come behind in no gift. Through this he will confirm us that we may be blameless. I pray that we will not belittle any item small or great as unimportant in God’s word. Nothing as it all comes from my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May God help us to be very careful.

Amen.